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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23731039">Seldra and Patchwork</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydarksidelovesthis/pseuds/mydarksidelovesthis'>mydarksidelovesthis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Botmother [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Expanse (TV), Transformers (Bay Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Future, Bayverse AU, Blood, F/M, Fights, Future Fic, Mars, Near Future, Not sure if it counts as romantic or if Patchwork is too innocent for that, Original Character(s), POV First Person, POV Original Female Character, Science Fiction</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:41:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,726</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23731039</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydarksidelovesthis/pseuds/mydarksidelovesthis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In a battle with Rage Seldra crash lands on Mars and hides among the people. There she meets an old, presumed dead friend.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Patchwork (Transformers OC) &amp; Se-eldra Sadr'khor (OC), Patchwork (Transformers OC) / Se-eldra Sadr'khor (OC)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Botmother [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1622833</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            A translation of

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23730340">Seldra und Patchwork</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydarksidelovesthis/pseuds/mydarksidelovesthis">mydarksidelovesthis</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Dear reader,</p><p>it's like an alternative beginning to my Botmother series. Because I like to write fighting scenes against Rage. And I like those cinnamon roll Patchwork.</p><p>Y'know once I read about what annoys people in fanfictions and one point was: The Mary Sue OC protagonist (who is actually just an author-insert) is shipped with the hottest guy or the hottest girl from the canon characters. Okay, I need to create an OC love interest for Seldra, who could that be ... oh wait, there was that one Autobot guy in the Expansion story who I didn't kill onscreen, he would be perfect!<br/>Now here I'm warming up to that idea. Trying to make it not corny.</p><p>Kind regards,<br/>My Alternative Side Loves This</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Seldra is about to lose her epic fight with Rage and escapes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There we stand again in front of each other, just you and me, Rage, like in good old times. The red ambient of Mars emphasizes our scene like an epic painting. Me, the small, agile Con, barely two feet bigger than a human and Rage, the space ship, who in his robot form stands high above me like a skyscraper. Rage, my nemesis. I beat you once in those days, when I still was a human. You learn from your mistakes and won't let me escape a second time. I fear that my journey ends today and here. But if nothing else is possible, at least I can ruin your day.</p><p>He reaches for me - I jump aside and start to climb his arm, but he is so incredible large, it takes too long.</p><p>He shakes me off, I fly through the air, catch my fall with my own jet engines and transform into my human mode - in this way I'm small enough to crouch behind the rocks here and no reflecting metal of my case will tell my position between the clouds of dust. Beside that I'm not able to do many things anyway. Too bad in this moment I notice that breathing is not one of such things - there's no oxygen in the Mars atmosphere - and I hold my breath. At least I have some seconds to think.</p><p>But no, the wind blows stronger - I suspect that Rage controls it - blows away the clouds of dust above my hideout and uncovers it to Rage's watchful view. His servo sweeps away the rocks - I transform, but barely too late, he sweeps me away, too. The rocks grind on my case, squeeze my human flesh and cause a short circuit somewhere. I lose consciousness.</p><p> </p><p>I woke up at a beach, THAT beach. Waves tickled my feet and rolled up to my hip. With disbelieve I pushed myself up and looked around. One moment ago I had been fighting for my life and here it was so peaceful. Still I was too much in turmoil to enjoy it. I tried to contact my system, but couldn't reach it. That bothered me. Was I okay? The sun stood high up at the sky. The only unusual thing was the building that stood inland: shiny like metal and with sharp edges like ice crystals.</p><p>I suspected something and went to that place, stepped in through a gate. In a sphere-shaped chamber a light hung in the air.</p><p>"I'm the Allspark" said the glowing thing.</p><p>I knew better: "You're Primus, the god of Cybertronians. What do you want?" Gloating I asked: "Are you sitting comfortably? So you enjoy the show? We're about to reach the finale."</p><p>"I do not intent to let you die."</p><p>"Is that so? Why don't you just leave then? Rage attacks me just because of you."</p><p>"I will leave you if you bring me to a planet where I can settle down."</p><p>Hmpf. How nice to tell me his plan instead of just getting off on the next best planet regardless of the inhabitants. "Why didn't you stay on Earth? Why didn't you get out on Cybertron?"</p><p>"My children are waging war against each other. Take me far away, where I will build a new, peaceful Cybertron."</p><p>"Oh, so I'm your chauffeur. Is there any advantage for me after everything I had to bear because of you?"</p><p>"I will give you the choice to stay as you are or to complete the transubstantiation. I cannot change you back into a human."</p><p>"You're a great god, huh? Can you do anything on your own?"</p><p>"Don't you mock me, mortal one. I won't turn the universe upside down for you. Consider my offer. I can wait."</p><p>The light grew, enshrouded the room, I couldn't see anything anymore and my surroundings dissolved.</p><p> </p><p>I am back. Half dented I manage it to wriggle out between the rocks. Rage already strikes out for the next attack. I look around for the next big rock that is big enough to shield me. But what I see behind me is the eye of the apocalypse, a long dark tunnel, who rises up behind me from the ground - no, behind a cliff and stares at me as if it could swallow me with a glance.</p><p>Wait, that's the weapon opening of a space ship.</p><p>I throw myself onto the ground. I'm not the target: It rises further and a torpedo like from hell swishes me by, so I feel how its fire heats up my case. I hear how it hits Rage, shortly after that blown away metal parts hit the ground. That's not enough to strike him down, but he transforms to his space ship mode and he escapes somewhere into the storm clouds, where I lose sight of him. Humans - that would be our first contact. I decide to play dead and hope that they don't shoot at me.</p><p>Soon they drive near in space suits in their vehicles. They collect the parts Rage has lost by the attack. Soon they curiously come close to me. I don't move. They poke me - I keep lying still. Soon they're convinced that I'm only scrap and load me up with the other parts.</p><p>They take me to a hall. Wondering I realize that it's full of Cybertronian parts that lie there in big piles, they could build a second Rage from that. Where do they come from? Do they come from Autobots or Decepticons? I cannot tell from my position. First of all, how do they stand towards us? At the moment I have no better idea but to keep playing dead until I get a chance to escape.</p><p>They dump me along with the other scrap on a pile.</p><p>They work on these piles, sometimes they take some better looking parts and bring them out or they throw heavily damaged, probably uninteresting parts in barrels, which are regularly emptied somewhere outside. For more than a week I lie there in the pile and silently watch the events. Soon one of the men starts to find interest in me and pulls me out of the pile - also my case regenerates and I look less like scrap. How inconvenient.</p><p>Shortly after the man returns with a small circular saw. As mechanical and stiff as possible to just not appear intelligent I escape to the top of the pile. I imagine it was some stupid self-protection system which he activated in me.</p><p>The man looks at me puzzled and then searches for another part to turn his attention to. They could injure themselves climbing on the metal parts, so he doesn't even try to reach me.</p><p>This way I spend some more days, always out of reach from curious humans. My human half soon feels good enough that I could transform. But my plan says to disappear in the right moment and to hide among the people outside, where nobody knows me. Still I have no idea how to leave this hall as secretly as I can.</p><p>But one day they come with something new. They position themselves nearby with a device and point to me - oh, is that an EMP cannon?</p><p>I jump down from the pile, but the pulse hits me - I have the fraction of a second to decide to keep my disguise, before it damages my systems.</p><p>It turns dark. I feel how I fall to the ground inside the lifeless machine body. I cannot move, the case prevents it, I cannot see and can barely hear. I feel how I'm loaded on and get carried away, it swings for a while before they unload me somewhere else. For a while I hear voices mumbling, then the screaming of a circular saw directly above me. I get scared. Then some burning pain bites into my chest and I know what they're trying to do. The saw is switched off. Nervous mumbling. I guess they're surprised to find blood when sawing open a machine.</p><p>I wait in my dark, lonely world. Shaking. I'm carried around. Probably they examine me and soon realize that there's a human in here. What will happen then?</p><p>I'm spared from finding that out. The EMP was weak and it doesn't take long until my systems come back online.</p><p>In some kind of lab I lie on a table, which awakens nasty memories from my time on Cybertron.</p><p>At the moment nobody is in the room. I get up, push up the ceiling panels and climb up, there I rip a hole into the ventilation duct - bend it back behind me as good as I can - and disappear before anyone notices.</p><p> </p><p>Several days I spend in the ventilation duct, until I can trust my human body with that stress, then I get out into a small street and hide heavily breathing between garbage containers. I find a piece of cloth to cover the wound on my chest, then I drag myself in fitting moments to the next small street, one by one.</p><p>It's night and only a few people move around. In a small street where the garbage bags pile up in front of overflown containers I find a place to sleep.</p><p>The sun stands high at the sky when a female voice wakes me up. "What are you doing here?"</p><p>I feel terrible. "Leave me alone. I'm sleeping."</p><p>"But not in the garbage!"</p><p>"Just move on."</p><p>The older woman probably saw the blood when I moved my hand. "Are you injured? Do you need a doctor?"</p><p>"I don't want a doctor." I look for anything I can throw at her. Then I change my mind. With one hand pushing the cloth to my chest I get up. "You know what, I just go somewhere else where nobody minds me."</p><p>"Oh god" she says when she sees me. "No, you need help. Come, I won't ask any questions."</p><p>"This is not appropriate."</p><p>But she stays stubborn. She moves her groceries around, so that she hangs a lightweight bag on my neck, so it covers the wound on my chest and drags me at the linked arm to her home, where she takes care of my injury.</p><p> </p><p>In the evening I stand at the window and look out to the street. Everything seems to be so peaceful. Still the thought of meeting humans fills me with horror. The scream of a door like the scream of a saw - horror. Mumbling voices - horror. And the smell of my blood.</p><p>Voices before my door - the woman stops in the middle of a chat and reprimands me: "But I told you to stay in the bed!"</p><p>"I'm fine", I reply - at least I can get up - but with gentle force she brings me back to the bed and pulls the blanket over me.</p><p>"Why are you doing this?" I ask. "You don't even know me."</p><p>"That's my husband" she just says and points to the door. He wears the uniform of the Mars navy. I remember that symbol from the space ship that shot Rage. The dark tunnel flashes into my mind and I cannot say a word.</p><p>"Wait, I'll bring you some soup" the woman says and receives a kiss from her husband when she leaves.</p><p>He comes to me with a friendly smile, pulls a chair close and sits down. "The injury looks bad. Where you assaulted? Did you report that to the police?"</p><p>Meanwhile I gained back control over my breathing. "If you call the police I disappear this instant."</p><p>The woman returns with a bowl of soup and passes it to me. It smells delicious. She says: "Here. I cooked it just for you."</p><p>I don't know what to say. "Tha... thanks. But why? You don't even know me."</p><p>"You need help. That's all that counts for me." She gives me a smile and tells her husband: "Come, let her rest."</p><p>She drags him out and I'm alone again. Soon from below I hear the humming of TV voices and pour down the rest of soup, then I jump out of the bed and go downstairs, one hand bended on the bandage on my chest.</p><p>Instantly the woman greets me with: "But you're not supposed to get up!"</p><p>"I cannot lie in bed all day long. Are these the news? Let me see what happens in the world." I jump into the armchair and cling to the leans in case she objects.</p><p>She threatens me with a finger. "But after the news you instantly go back to your room!"</p><p>The news contain the usual bushwa - politics, business, sports - and finally I see me. They show clips from my battle with Rage. I'm a small bread crumb hardly to be seen in front of the giant. When he strikes at me with his giant servo I cannot stand it any longer and look away.</p><p>The woman asks: "Are you not feeling well?"</p><p>"Yes, I'm fine. These pictures are terrible. Where's the giant robot now?"</p><p>In the news they say that the government is still working on explanations and there's no danger for the citizens. Finally the news end with the weather forecast about a heavy storm, which luckily rages far away from inhabited areas.</p><p>The woman answers: "They both disappeared."</p><p>The man looks at me for a long time. I assume that Rage still hides somewhere on Mars, or else they would have noticed how he left the planet. I'm close to marvel at him for the accomplishment of hiding with his impressive size. Rage probably feels my energy signature, also in this distance and in my human mode. I assume that he's making a plan for his next attack.</p><p>The man asks: "Where were you while the fight?"</p><p>"Where should I have been?"</p><p>"Everyone watched the event live in the media. You too?"</p><p>What shall I reply to that. "And you put bets? On the big one I assume?" I laugh and the pain makes me cringe.</p><p>The woman rushes to me and drags me out of the arm chair. "Come, that's enough. You belong into the bed. Kieron, leave her alone."</p><p>I let her put me back into bed and even stay there for a few seconds. Then I hear heavy steps on the corridor that move into one of the rooms. Even through the two doors I hear how the man starts to speak, with a typical phone voice. "Yao? Because of that robot that disappeared from the lab. I think I ..."</p><p>Suddenly I stand beside him and tap the hang-up button. "You shouldn't discuss that on the phone if you don't know who else overhears this. And neither did I something forbidden nor am I in the constitution to mess with the long arm of the law."</p><p>We stare each other in the eyes for several seconds. He knows it or at least he has a strong suspicion. I know that he knows. He knows that I know ...</p><p>The woman notices the two open doors and reminds me: "You promised me to stay in bed!"</p><p>I turn around to her. "Come here. I want to show you something."</p><p>Puzzled she places herself beside her husband, then I take some steps backwards - safety distance so they won't feel threatened. Then slowly I transform to bot mode, so they can marvel at the details. The man's expression barely changes, the woman just seems mildly surprised. This confirms that they already suspected such a thing. How embarrassing. And I call myself Decepticon.</p><p>After some seconds I transform back. Then I cringe in pain. The woman supports me at my arm. "Yeah, yeah, I belong into the bed."</p><p>I let her take me to my room. When passing by I tell her husband: "Wait at least a couple of days with that call. I'm not prepared for another robo-death match."</p><p> </p><p>Some days later - I'm just fighting through "my" room, ready to disappear in the bed any moment if someone comes in. I understand how the woman wants me to rest and I highly appreciate it. But I cannot lie still and do nothing. Rage is somewhere outside and waits for me. I need to be prepared to defend myself. I feel helpless and at the mercy of others when I just lie there - my muscles dwindle and my abilities decrease. Although that only affects my human body I remember just too well how it's like to not be able to transform and cannot rely on my bot mode alone. Which also sucks.</p><p>Steps on the stairs - I disappear under the blanket.</p><p>It's the man - and that around noon. "You're supposed to stay in the bed." He already starts like his wife.</p><p>"I am in the bed."</p><p>"Your face is blushed. You did physical labor."</p><p>I grin. "I can also do that in the bed."</p><p>"If I would touch your feet would they be cold?"</p><p>"What are you, some kind of police man?" He is more attentive than other humans. And his wife seems to have picked up some tricks from him.</p><p>He says: "I like to introduce you to someone."</p><p>"But do I also like that? Or does this person want to saw me open?"</p><p>Outside a car with darkened windows awaits me. He took it seriously when I said: The cameras on the streets wouldn't see me this way.</p><p>"Nobody wants to saw you open. The researchers didn't know you were in that suit. You should've said something."</p><p>I get into the car. Sounds as if they think I was a human in a battle suit. Nice. "You pointed the huge opening of a space ship's cannon to me. I doubted you had friendly intentions."</p><p>He takes me to a high building where armed men hold the doors open for us. I only watch the sky and search the dust clouds that sweep over the glass dome for dark spots.</p><p>In the building I meet a woman who introduces herself as Ruby. "Se'eldra Sadr'khor."</p><p>"What an unusual name." She apologizes for the trouble and asks some superficial questions about my "battle suit", then she asks if I was interested in a cooperation. They can make great use of my abilities, also this would strengthen our diplomatic relationships. I assume they think I was the result of a secret project on Earth, that's why they don't ask more detailed questions. I'm willing to have a look.</p><p>They drive me several miles away, to a cave in Olympus Mons. There we're standing in space suits in that cave and a woman - the boss of the group or something, points to the ceiling. "We receive a radioactive radiation from the cave above, but we cannot get up in protection suits. Would you have a look there?"</p><p>Instantly I transform, just dropping my space suit, climb up the walls without problems and disappear into the hole. My enthusiasm gets disappointed and I come back down. "It's too dark. Can I have a flashlight?"</p><p>The boss laughs. "Of course we already have your equipment ready."</p><p>Her assistant holds up a back pack full of stuff. Is that really necessary? He needs half an hour to equip me, to mount the cam on my shoulder, to adjust the radio set and to check everything. The rest of the team stays here, holds contact and sees on the screen what I see. Finally they let my leech loose and I climb back above with switched on head light.</p><p>Soon I reach a horizontal tunnel, on whose ground lie some destroyed drones. I already wondered if they had really tried everything before they asked me for help.</p><p>I run through the tunnel, a long, boring tunnel. My claws make clicking noises with every step and the sound echoes from the walls. Soon I spot some conspicuous drawings that appear in my cone of light and I step closer. They are symbols. Cybertronian symbols, scratched into the wall. I stare at the wall. My claws stroke over the signs. How's that possible?</p><p>"What's that?" someone from the team asks. I don't bother remembering the names. When the voice asks: "Can you read that?" I hear the others discussing in the background.</p><p>"No" I say shortly and keep staring at the signs. They say that the Cybertronians in the Kuiper Belt await the arrival of the Allspark. That sounds like a prophecy that announces my coming. That cannot be. Maybe I read it wrong. Maybe I understand it wrong.</p><p>I turn away and keep following the tunnel. The cone of light reaches something that moves - a robot stands up, about double as high as me with a brown color, as if someone had just mixed up all buckets of color they could find. A robot I have already seen once.</p><p>"Patchwork!" I call delighted and rush to him.</p><p>"Se'eldra Sadr'khor?" He pronounces my name in perfect Cybertronian and then continues in my human language. "How nice to see you!"</p><p>I say: "I thought you were dead. Margret said, I mean ..." The EMP damaged my drive and I need to restore the name from my human memory. "M ... 4 ... 2 ... 6 ... 2 ... 3 ... 7 implied they killed you."</p><p>"Oh, he knows me, we were in the same proto-group. He knows I can repair a lot. How are you, did you ..."</p><p>"Wait" I interrupt him and point to the camera on my shoulder. "The humans are listening."</p><p>"Hm, the humans from Mars? Do they know about you?"</p><p>"Partly."</p><p>"Do you know about them?"</p><p>"What do you mean?" On his request I switch off the cam. Instantly I receive protest from the group of researchers and the command to switch it back on. I ignore them.</p><p>Patchwork examines me, how far the conversion progressed. Since our meeting on Cybertron not much has happened. Worried he examines the injury on my chest and I have to explain to him, that there was a misunderstanding on my encounter with the humans.</p><p>He recounts: "After your escape from Cybertron chaos broke out. The Decepticons overran our location and looked under every stone for you. Although they knew you weren't there and we had nothing to do with your disappearance. I escaped and hid on Mars."</p><p>The pushing of the researchers becomes more energetic. I send them a message: "He's a refugee who went through bad things. It's his decision who to tell about that. Please respect his privacy."</p><p>Then I ignore further messages and let them wait. By the way I ask: "Why Mars? And what's the deal with the symbols over there?"</p><p>"Everybody knows that you're returning to Earth and you have to pass the belt. They wait and die there by the thousands. Did you see piles of scrap metal by the humans? It's coming from the belt."</p><p>Hm, the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter is big. I was just so unlucky to encounter Rage there. "Then ... you thought you would die here? And started to write down your story on the walls?"</p><p>"I didn't make it to Earth and I cannot leave this planet. Before the humans the Decepticons ran around here, hence since then I'm hiding here."</p><p>I reach out my claw to him. "Are you coming with me to the humans?"</p><p>"I don't think they would like me. I heard they saw us open and examine us."</p><p>I cannot deny. I take his servo and look him deeply into the optical sensors: "Nobody harms you as long as I'm nearby. I will protect you."</p><p>He trusts me and is happy to not be alone anymore. I switch the camera back on and announce our coming to the humans: "I bring an old friend with me. Don't worry, he's peaceful."</p><p>It's nice to have someone to talk with. "For the humans I'm now called Se-eldra" I explain. "Or Seheldra. I'm still not sure how to best transcribe that sound. Or just Seldra."</p><p>"I'm surprised you see a connection at all!"</p><p>With my jet engines I take care for a gentle descend. The researchers go to a respectful distance.</p><p>"That's Patchwork, he's a medic" I introduce him. "Here, see? They don't harm you. They are researchers who examine these caves."</p><p>"Sorry about your drones."</p><p>I suggest to bring Patchwork to the scrap hall, where nobody will pay attention to him. After my epic defeat against Rage the humans are not ready to meet another robot.</p><p>I let them take me back in my human mode. On the trip I stay in contact with Patchwork and we send radio messages to each other per our internal systems. We have so much to speak about. It's nice to have someone to talk to openly.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Seldra has some much to talk about with Patchwork! But the peace only lasts for a short time, because Rage is still lurking somewhere.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I am honored to show him the scrap hall. "Here the humans brought me after the battle when I pretended to be broken." I climb onto one of the piles. "Then I laid here above, out of range so they won't saw me to pieces."</p><p> </p><p>The next days I spend with him in the machine hall. I like him a lot and I enjoy to have someone who understands me, but some topics lead us to discussions every time, which tires me out after a while.</p><p>One time I drop when I explain my behavior: "I'm half a Decepticon."</p><p>"Seldra. There is no physical difference between Autobots and Decepticons. It's a free choice."</p><p>"But ... Decepticons consider the touch of a human disgusting. You say you don't feel that way."</p><p>"But Seldra ... Of course I feel what they mean, but it doesn't bother me."</p><p>I step to him. "This doesn't bother you?" I take his servo into my hands. Hm. He doesn't retreat like the other Decepticons did when I tried to touch them and I'm sure it's not just because of the horror stories I told them: How human blood makes metal rust and that they die when I touch them too often.</p><p>Patchwork says: "The Decepticons make much noise about nothing. I've seen a lot Cybertronians from the inside and I assure you that there is no physical difference."</p><p>What's that suppose to mean? I argue: "My optical sensors glow red like the ones of the other Decepticons. The ones of the Autobots are blue."</p><p>"They reflect your feelings. You're always ready to fight. Autobots are always ready to make peace."</p><p>I grin. "I keep myself in shape with training and I think that's a good thing. Do you want to, too?"</p><p>"How, what, training?" he asks.</p><p>I pull at his servo. "Yeah, fighting. Come on, show me what you've got."</p><p>I drag him to the free space between the scrap piles.</p><p>"What weapons do you have? Are you more of the close-fight or the range-fight type or both?"</p><p>"Well, I have tools. I could dismantle you."</p><p>Okay, I understand that he has no appropriate weapons available. I expose my pea shooter and hand it to him. "Here, take that. This weak weapon is perfect for training."</p><p>I transform and run some yards away, where I turn to him, ready to dodge. I make some jumps to the side to challenge him. "Go ahead, shoot."</p><p>Patchwork raises the weapon with hesitation. Aims. With my mechanics full of tension I look at the weapon to see how he gives it the impulse.</p><p>Nothing happens. The weapon shakes. "I ... I cannot" he says and lets it sink."</p><p>"What's up?" I ask. "Is it blocking?" I run to him, transform, take the weapon with my human hands and pull the trigger, which I just made for this purpose shortly before. Easily a small metal bullet flies out and after a slightly ballistic curve hits the wall at the other end of the hall.</p><p>Puzzled I turn to Patchwork. Then I understand, bend forwards and ask whispering: "Are you a pacifist?"</p><p>"I don't know, what that is, but I don't want to shoot at you. I repair people, I don't destroy them."</p><p>Oh my, he's too good for this world. I wish to protect him. "It's okay" I say and pet his cheek. "You don't need to shoot at me if you don't want to."</p><p>Patchwork exposes his lamp an checks my injury through the bandage. "Now it's bleeding again. I have to order you to rest for a week or else it will never heal."</p><p>I give up smiling. "Okay." He's so nice, that was enough to appease him. He pushes a long, tong-like thing under my bandage - probably he closes the wounds with it, then he nods satisfied.</p><p> </p><p>Once Patchwork noted: "Here everything is full of Decepticon technology."</p><p>"You said there wasn't any physical difference."</p><p>"Yes, except one thing ..." He holds his closed fist to me. I hold my hands below it and he drops a piece of metal into them - a Decepticon insignia, about as big as my palm.</p><p> </p><p>In the evening with the couple in front of the TV I watch the news for any sign if Rage appeared somewhere, but nothing. It ends with the weather forecast about that storm that still rages and moves close to any cities. I expected that Rage would seek me out after I transformed yesterday and he received my energy signature. Hm. Or did he leave the planet to get reinforcement?</p><p>Kieron asks me: "Some of our orbital cannons went out of order. Can you tell us what weapons that Rage possesses?"</p><p>"None, he is just big. And intelligent."</p><p>"A space ship without weapons? What's his purpose?"</p><p>"No idea, he's some kind of prototype of a new method of building." I could swear that he was made just to be the terror of my sleepless nights. Or to bear Megatron's tantrums. Why would he want him as his ship anyway if he had one before with strong weapons? The only thing Rage is better at than other space ships is thinking along.</p><p> </p><p>The first few days I still sleep at home of the couple. Until one morning a message wakes me. I receive my name in uppercase like screamed into my mind: "SELDRA, THEY KILL ME!"</p><p>That comes from Patchwork. Instantly I'm bright awake, jump up, transform at the same time and jump out of the window. In record time I fly to the research center, push away the security guys at the entrance and rush into the scrap hall. Several people with electric sticks drive Patchwork into a corner, some of them hold ropes that are tied to Patchwork's servo, while a man with a circular saw draws close.</p><p>I jump in between them and destroy the saw and the sticks by touching them shortly and overload them with an Energon charge.</p><p>"Stop that crap. Don't you see you're scaring him?"</p><p>A man raises his voice: "He's not human. We want to open and examine him."</p><p>"But not like this!" I drive them some steps back.</p><p>"Is everything alright?" I ask worried when I turn around, transform and release Patchwork from the ropes with my skillful human hands.</p><p>He still doesn't answer.</p><p>"Hey, what's wrong?" I whisper.</p><p>He mumbles: "I didn't do anything to them. Why does Optimus disagree to kill them? They're cruel."</p><p>I explain calmly: "They are a young species. Optimus wants them to have a chance to make their own experiences, their own mistakes. They are able to learn. We can explain to them what they did wrong and they will understand. And if not" - I grin - "then we explain to them again."</p><p>Patchwork smiles: "Now you speak like an Autobot."</p><p>I turn to the humans and convince Patchwork to open himself up and to show them his inner life. Patchwork has to take the long route to explain the functionality, but finally for now it's enough and they retreat.</p><p>When we're alone Patchwork turns to me and starts to examine me. He holds up his bright blue lamp, which shines through me, looks into my eyes, measures my body temperature and my blood pressure. "You used the Allspark, didn't you? You shouldn't do that. It accelerates your conversion into a full machine."</p><p>"I just did it to protect you."</p><p>He sighs. "I know, I know. Then ... don't do it if you can avoid it."</p><p>"I cannot imagine to become a machine. I'm so weak. My creativity, my ideas are what saves me."</p><p>Patchwork asks: "What do you mean? Of course machines are creative, too."</p><p>"Only what you put in before comes out of a machine."</p><p>"The same holds for humans. You have to teach humans before you get anything out." I tell him about my observations on Cybertron: "I gave the protoforms toys and they only mimicked exactly what I showed them."</p><p>"On Cybertron there are no toys. Human children know many examples and many stories. If you would give them only one, they, too, would just mimic that."</p><p>"In my simulations I try out new situations all the time that I have never experienced before. The ideas come from my human brain. I tell the machine brain what to simulate. Without input the system does the same thing over and over."</p><p>He smiles nonplussed. "I don't know you well enough to say something about that."</p><p>I reply: "Megatron wants to wipe out humanity and I often tried to convince him otherwise. If it was true what you said I would have done so a long time ago. Humans change their opinion, machines don't."</p><p>"You're speaking of Megatron. Theoretically speaking it's possible. But as well as humans we have the freedom to hold on to our opinion."</p><p> </p><p>Soon again some researchers come into the hall. One of them steps to us and asks: "Excuse me. I just wanted to ask if your species has engines for space ships available that allow for interstellar travels? That use worm holes or something?"</p><p>Patchwork looks at them puzzled. "Why don't you just grow some?" The silence feels like an eternity.</p><p>I act as if that was a usual question and reply dryly: "They don't have the prerequisites for that. They don't know how to do it and there's no energon on the planet."</p><p>Patchwork looks at me wondering and sends: "Why don't you show them?"</p><p>"I didn't tell them about the Allspark. Humans are prone to misuse technology. We should think well before we reveal them something like that."</p><p>The researcher asks curiously: "Can you explain us the process? How do Transformers come to new technologies?"</p><p>Okay, it was time to tell them about the birds and the bees. "Of course, everything you like to know." I already start to make up something. Which information do the humans have already? Maybe I just tell them that "Transformers" lay eggs.</p><p>He takes me to his office where he switches on a record device and makes notes on his pad - he writes down all questions he thinks of, before he raises them in order and ticks them off. "So, how exactly do Transformers reproduce?"</p><p>"Well, you know, there mare male and female Cyber... Transformer." I make up anything I think he wants to hear and which is of no use to him.</p><p> </p><p>The next day Patchwork insists to check my injury again.</p><p>"Isn't that a bit exaggerated? Of course it heals."</p><p>In a playful indignation he puts his servos to his hips. "If you weren't that stubborn I wouldn't need to be worried that you're jumping around again when I'm not present."</p><p>I grin. "Worried about me? What do you do if someone attacks you and I'm not there to protect you?"</p><p>He grins with confidence. "I will find my way."</p><p>He's so nice. He cares for me. He's so helpless and I want to protect him. Suddenly I say to him: "Patchwork, I cannot imagine to live without you. You're so nice and innocent and to imagine how you wander through this universe alone fills me with terror. I want to stay near you to protect you. You remind me that there is kindness, that it's always possible to forgive me, no matter what I did. You're my only friend in a world full of enemies."</p><p>He replies: "Then let's stay together and be partners. It would be an honor for me." I don't know about that concept in Cybertronian terms and let him explain that to me: "Partners do everything together, travel together, help each other, are sent on missions together. Isn't there such a things at the Decepticons?"</p><p>I try to remember: Indeed there were some which you saw hanging around together all the time. That explains something. Pairs like Soundwave and his pets. Although regarding Megatron and Starscream I tend to the impression that it's more of "keep your friends close and your enemies even closer".</p><p> </p><p>Soon a man comes into the hall, one of the security guys: "All people are requested to go into the cellar. A storm draws to the city and reached a strength that it moves rocks. We cannot guarantee that the glass domes can resists it."</p><p>Suddenly I see clear: "That's no normal storm. That's Rage! He comes to take me." I look to Patchwork and consider my options. Shall I go with them into the cellar? But then Rage flips every stone here until he finds me. "I guess the best is if I face him."</p><p>"But ... But Seldra."</p><p>Do I see a tear in that big, blue, optical sensor? "Patchi." I take his face into my hands. "Rage feels my energy signature. He will find me, no matter where I hide. He will beat everything to pieces and kill many people. I cannot leave the planet without he notices it. The only way left is to face him in a fight, even if I lose." Up until now I lost every fight. I don't care about that at all.</p><p>"Don't leave me alone on this planet!"</p><p>I sigh. I could just leave everything behind me. But the thought of never seeing Patchwork again scares me. "I'll come back, I promise."</p><p>"Okay. I trust you." I'm about to go on my way when he says: "Wait! Take that." He exposes a screwdriver - the Cybertronian kind built of many filigree parts - and hands it to me.</p><p>"Patchwork" I say. "You know that I didn't actually defeated Rage with a screwdriver?"</p><p>He smiles in confidence: "Then this will be the first time. I believe in you."</p><p>"Thanks." Too bad I don't do that.</p><p>Patchwork follows the researchers into the cellar. Deeply moved I put the screwdriver away and go on my way.</p><p>I go outside under the glass dome - the storm blows red clouds in high speed over the glass - then to the air lock to the outside. The security guys already retreated, so I hack my way out and transform. I'm nervous. Idea, I need an idea.</p><p>The wind nearly drags me from my feet, so I let myself down on all four limbs and cling to the ground. In the red dust I don't see much. Probably he doesn't see me, too, but he can feel me in this mode. I move in the direction where the wind blows the strongest, first of all away from the city, limitation of damage.</p><p>Several minutes I fight my way forward, then a gust pulls me from the ground and throws me around. I expose my engines and try to thrust against that - of no use, it makes it even worse - then I try to at least stabilize my path. I hit something.</p><p>Suddenly the storm falls silent. The sand falls to the ground and exposes the view onto the giant robot, into whose servo I directly flew. I imagine how I raise the screwdriver and shout: "Now? Do you remember this?" But instead I have to think how Patchwork stays on Mars all on his own, without someone who protects him from the curiosity of the humans. That nice robot, too good for this world. The robot who never fights. I wonder if there's another way and I get an idea: Yes, there is.</p><p>Rage looks at me and closes the servo.</p><p>"Wait! Wait!" I shout and send a radio message at the same time to ensure he hears me and raise my hands. "I know what you want: The Allspark, so Megatron can revive the Cybertronian species. I found a planet that would be perfect for that. If you help me to get to that I will help you to build a new Cybertron there." I send him the data I have: coordinates, pictures, measure analysis.</p><p>For some seconds that seem to be painfully long I wait for an answer. Then he drops me, transforms to his space ship mode and opens his tail gate, ready for me to get in.</p><p>I land on the ground. "Wait, I don't go without my partner" and turn half away to leave. "I know you will smash the cities if I hide. Let me get my partner. I'll come back, I promise. Give me half an hour." He closes the tail gate and surrounds himself with dust clouds. Quickly I run back to the city.</p><p> </p><p>"Patchwork, Patchwork!" I rush into the cellar and transform to human mode. The researchers stare at me with open mouthes. "Let's talk under four optical sensors" I say and drag him out of the door, where the researchers cannot see us anymore.</p><p>"Seldra, are you unharmed?"</p><p>I take his servo into my hands to make sure I get his full attention. "I tell you something important. The Allspark spoke to me. It said if I find a new home for the Cybertronians, he will leave my body. It cannot change me back into a human, but my conversion will stop instantly. It doesn't care if the planet is inhabited or not, so I found one far away, big, uninhabited which mostly consist of metal. I negotiated with Rage and he agreed to take me there. Would you travel with me to that planet?"</p><p>"But he's a Decepticon. Won't he hurt me?"</p><p>"No, not until someone gives him that order. Besides: You said we can make our free decisions. We don't have to be enemies."</p><p>He thinks about that. It seems to be a hard decision. "Okay, I trust you."</p><p>We run out where I transform again. When we reach the place where I last saw Rage, the storm clouds calm down and he opens his tail gate as before. We get in. Rage departs and we leave the planet.</p><p> </p><p>"Fascinating" Patchwork says when he looks around inside. There are not many Autobots who can visit a Decepticon ship undamaged. Even less one of the newest generation like Rage. He displays his flying route on the screen, zoomed in to our solar system.</p><p>I wonder about the buckling he makes in the belt, but I don't think any more about that. "Rage has an organic brain" I explain and point to a pillar in the middle of the room, where Rage exposes the gray mass, that's bigger than a human one.</p><p>Patchwork wonders: "What's that good for?"</p><p>"We had our discussion about the creativity of human and machine. I say it helps him with creative problem solving. If you say humans and machines are equally creative, what do you think the brain is good for?"</p><p>Patchwork looks at the mass fascinated. "I would say it lives from organic matter, not from electricity. If the electronics are destroyed, it keeps on living." Interesting idea. But how much effort would you need to damage a space ship that much? Even common Cybertronians can be repaired to a great extend.</p><p>"Why would you want to keep it after a total damage? It would be easier to build a new one."</p><p>"Do you know how they're built?"</p><p>"The same as all the others, except that beside the spark of a space ship you also need an organ."</p><p>"That makes it even more complicated ..."</p><p>We riddle about that for a while.</p><p> </p><p>The buckling in the belt of the flying route makes suddenly sense when Rage stops before an asteroid, sucks up the oxygen in the room and opens the tail gate.</p><p>Patchwork clings to a cable at the side. "What's going on?" he sends to me.</p><p>I look around. Rage wants something and says it in his own way. When I look to the main screen, he replaces the flying route by a transmission from the belt - Megatron, who lies on an asteroid rusted and motionless. Then he switches to Starscream, who seems to lie nearby on the same asteroid. Again Rage switches and shows a map of the surroundings, where five glowing dots are marked. "He wants us to pick up Megatron and his friends before we continue our trip" I state.</p><p>"You're not gonna do that, right?" Patchwork asks.</p><p>I consider my options. Rage will definitely not continue without them. Is it too late to get out? But how would we then get away from here and to that planet?</p><p>"We take them with us" I decide.</p><p>"Seldra, you think that's a good idea? That's Megatron, our deadly enemy."</p><p>"Nobody touches you as long as I'm there. I will protect you." We are a great team, aren't we? Two Cybertronians without weapons. A pacifist and all fights are my job, the one who lost every single fight up until now.</p><p>He sighs. "Good. I trust you."</p><p>I get out and fly to the asteroid. There I find Megatron. He looks distressed, totally rusted and doesn't move. I call Rage to come close and load - thanks to the basically not existing gravity - the lifeless body into Rage. As expected I find Starscream nearby on the same asteroid. Grindor and Shockwave I find on the other one. Soundwave floats freely between the asteroids.</p><p>When all are picked up Rage closes the tailgate, fills the inside with oxygen, so I can transform back to human mode and we continue our journey.</p><p>"I need to revive them if we want to have a chance" I explain. "You cannot just kidnap Megatron to a foreign planet. He has to decide by himself."</p><p>"But Seldra, just leave them as they are."</p><p>"Rage won't accept that. Trust me." I step to each Decepticon and give him energy for several days plus as much as they need for instant regeneration. They get up one after the other while I continue to the next one, finally I stand in their circle.</p><p>"Conmother" Megatron says. "I'm surprised to see you." He seems to be in the mood for a fight, but also curious.</p><p>I say: "I want to help you to revive the Cybertronian species. The Allspark says if I take it to this planet" - I give Rage a sign, so he shows the data on his main screen - "it will leave my body and build a new Cybertron. I request you to travel there with me."</p><p>Instead of answering to that he looks around. "And who is this?" Patchwork pushes himself to the wall in anxiety. Megatron gives the small one a nudge, so that Patchwork stumbles into the circle.</p><p>"That's Patchwork" I introduce him. "You know him. He's the medic who back in those days was kidnapped on your command to repair me. He's my partner and I go nowhere without him."</p><p>"An Autobot" Soundwave notes and pokes him a finger into the side. "He's as good as scrap metal."</p><p>I transform and jump between them to protect him. "Nobody touches my partner. If you want him you have to get through me first."</p><p>Megatron throws in: "I just let you face civilians on Cybertron, because you're so weak. You don't stand a chance."</p><p>"That doesn't matter. I trained for 300 years and I will kick his afterburner." I turn back to Soundwave: "Patchwork will repair me, but not you. Come on, I dare you." Provoking I waggle my rear part and scratch the ground as if to prepare a start-up.</p><p>Soundwave laughs. "I know you, Conmother. You're bluffing. Everyone knows you don't have any weapons."</p><p>"Do you want to keep talking or do you want to see a world of terror?"</p><p>Soundwave exposes a cannon and looks to Megatron questioning. "Nothing what could endanger the Allspark" that one says.</p><p>Disappointed Soundwave folds it back in and strikes at me with his bare servo. I dodge, climb up on him and contact his system at his neck. Soundwave keeps standing motionless. He's now allowed to enjoy Rick Astley.</p><p>"Patchwork" I call to my partner. "Give me a screwdriver."</p><p>Before he can react, Megatron shouts: "Stop!" Everyone looks at him. He turns to me: "You will do whatever I say."</p><p>"Yes, Sir! Everything as long as it doesn't aim against my partner." I give Soundwave the 10 hour version in fast-track and let him go. I climb down to Patchwork and transform.</p><p>I address Soundwave: "What now? Talking or world of terror?" He glares at me in anger.</p><p>I take that as an answer and continue the interrupted round of introductions. "Patchwork - that's Soundwave."</p><p>I point to the next: "Shockwave."</p><p>And the next: "Unimportant side character." Starscream makes the grinding noise of an angry machine. "Wait until Megatron declares you fair game. I will be the first one there."</p><p>"Get in line" I reply untouched and want to continue.</p><p>Patchwork sends a radio message to me: "Was that really necessary? Why do you need to make them angry. They will kill us as soon as we arrive."</p><p>"Yes, that was necessary" I send back. "You don't earn anything from Decepticons with kindness. You have to show them your dominance."</p><p>"Hey", Megatron suddenly says. "We can hear you."</p><p>Whoops. So no private chats anymore on this ship.</p><p>The trip to Neo-Cybertron as I just call it will take about 10 Earth years. Because the truce on this ship is settled, I go to each Decepticon and give them the energy they need just to live through that time.</p><p>Then I retreat with Patchwork. "I will spend the time in hibernation" I explain. "If something happens you can wake me anytime."</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>I transform, put my Con body into a calm corner and switch off my outer systems. My mind retreats into a simulation while I keep only a few sensors aimed at the outside world.</p><p> </p><p>"Se'eldra Sadr'khor." I receive my name in perfect Cybertronian. Then in my human translation. Then in my onomatopoetic approximation. "Wake up."</p><p>I leave the simulation and my bot body activates the optical sensors. I'm online. Patchwork looks at me. I ask: "Are we there?"</p><p>Before I can look on my inner clock Patchwork gives the answer: "We're halfway there, 5 years have passed. We have a problem." He checks my health. The human body is still in hibernation - I don't warm it up as long as it's not clear that the break takes longer.</p><p>"What is it?" I ask impatiently and wonder what it could be at this point.</p><p>Patchwork answers: "The planet you choose is inhabited." Hm, that's not possible. I saw the measurements. I saved the coordinates. How's that possible?</p><p>I go to the command center to have a look. Our Decepticon friends already await us. "Your primitive, human technology made a mistake" Megatron mocks. I reply dryly: "That was your Decepticon technology."</p><p>"What did you say?"</p><p>I look directly into the red glowing optical sensors. "The humans don't have any own technology. They built everything after they researched the Decepticons. Your Decepticon technology made a mistake."</p><p>While Megatron fights with a tantrum - he cannot argue with this naked truth - I turn to the screens, but I don't understand what they're saying. "Who lives on the planet?"</p><p>Patchwork asks startled: "Does that play any role?"</p><p>"Well, are they single-celled or intelligent beings?"</p><p>"But protozoans could become intelligent one day!" That ... actually makes sense. I never thought about that. He's so cute, but isn't that point of view a little bit far-fetched?</p><p>Soundwave explains: "The instruments receive sporadic signals that hint at biological life. It could be a strong magnetic field that alters the results. Or a highly developed species that shields itself."</p><p>Megatron says: "Don't you dare to retreat. We have a deal." I think hardly: "Okay. Let's continue with the course and have a look at that planet. I'll take care of that." Because the case is closed for now I retreat back to my hibernation.</p>
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